[Neuropathic pain among hospital in-patients. Analysis of Austrian hospital discharge data].
BACKGROUND
Neuropathic pain is a common symptom of many diseases among in-patients in hospitals and neuropathic pain itself often requires hospitalisation. It was the aim of this study to examine epidemiological key data related to neuropathic pain among hospital in-patients.


METHODS
The source of the data used was the ICD-10 coded main diagnoses with neuropathic pain of a complete data set of discharges obtained for every Austrian hospital for the year 2002.


RESULTS
A total of 49,412 cases (614/100,000 inhabitants) with diagnoses always associated with neuropathic pain were recorded, representing 2.0% of all discharges from Austrian hospitals. Furthermore, there were as many as 353,893 cases with diagnoses which are possibly associated with neuropathic pain, like cancer, diabetes mellitus and stroke, representing 14.3% of all cases discharged from hospitals. Applying the proportion of those suffering from neuropathic pain among patients with these three diagnoses which is known from the literature would result in 5.8% of all hospital in-patients suffering from neuropathic pain.


CONCLUSIONS
These data represent a first step in the assessment of the epidemiology of neuropathic pain and show the high extent of neuropathic pain in the Austrian in-patient setting.
Dorner
T
T
Institut für Sozialmedizin, Zentrum für Public Health, Medizinische Universität Wien, Rooseveltplatz 3, A-1090 Wien, Osterreich. thomas.dorner@univie.ac.at
Gustorff
B
B
Likar
R
R
Lawrence
K
K
Schwarz
F
F
Rieder
A
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001317:Austria; D001416:Back Pain / Q000453:epidemiology; D002349:Carpal Tunnel Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D038801:International Classification of Diseases; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult